Hoya manipurensis, which I still feel is a Dischidia, is flowering strongly right now, but I fear that it is a defense mechanism from stress. I think that somewhere along the line I must of over watered it, so now all it does is flower with no more vegetative growth for months. I think that it is probably time to start this one over again.

Some of you might remember from my Thailand Unboxing video back in May of last year there was a Hoya australis ‘Lisa’ inside. Well I’ve been growing it now for 6 or 7 months and here are my findings. I like the plant way more than I thought I would not being a huge fan of variegation. It grows extremely slowly, but so far seems easy to keep healthy. Finally I love that the new leaves emerge with a strong reddish tint and then revert to the normal leaf color.

I’m thinking that the coconut husk that this plant came potted in from Thailand contained the spores to these cute little mushrooms. Tomorrow I talk a little about Hoya australis ‘Lisa’ and my experience growing it for the past six months or so.

Here is the last photo of Hoya cutis-porcelana until, and if, I am successful in restarting the plant. I feel that I will be, but you never know for sure. I call this one Hoya cutis-porcelana Starry Night.

Since discovering water rooting and achieving nearly 100% success with it, I now have little fear in losing a Hoya when I run into a problem like root rot. I managed to save 3 pretty nice cuttings of this one, so I am virtually certain that I will be able to save the plant. Below the gorgeous red leaves of Hoya cutis-porcelana in this photo showing the entire plant just before cutting it up:

The coconut coir chunk that this plant was received with helped propel Hoya cutis-porcelana into a death spiral. There was no way of removing it, and I feared it would catch up with me, and indeed it did. Coconut husk simply holds too much water for too long a period and that condition can spell death for the roots.

Hoya cutis-porcelana is flowering away on three different peduncles, but I fear that it is stress flowering. Stress flowering is when a plant flowers to desperately try to save itself by sexually reproducing before death. More tomorrow, in the mean time the flowers of this wonderfully cute plant.

I had a lot of fun growing this plant out and bringing it into flower! It is an easy grower that if not for the dripping nectar issues would be a definite keeper. It is also worth growing just for the incredible aerial roots, which I compare to golden tresses. Below a lasting reminder of the beautiful blooms of Hoya sp. AH-014:

I used to think that Hoya curtisii had to get some age on it before it would grace you with flowers. My first plant took 3-4 years and a lot of work chasing the sun before I got my first flower. This Hoya was purchased as a bunch of cuttings rooted in a pot from Lowes back in early May and has now flowered at the bottom of a 3 1/2 foot vine. It is a plant that grows in my warm humid grow tent under nothing but artificial light.

The flowers on this species last a very long time, and once it reaches blooming age will flower almost continually. Unfortunately because of the nectar mess, I finally got fed up and cut all of the peduncles off the the plant. I do however have some great photos to remember them by!